Whether you start your day off in a Starbucks, Dunkin’, or a local cafe, your barista is a person first and foremost. With an estimated $82 billion revenue in 2019 and at a rate of 1.97 cups consumed per capita per day in the Northeast of the U.S., people are drinking a LOT of coffee! Having a lot of coffee means a lot of hard work for employees. Over 84,000 injury claims were made between 2013 and 2017, making cafes and coffee shops some of the most dangerous places for workers. Workers’ compensation insurance is desperately needed in this industry, and we are here to help!

Let’s look at ways baristas are injured in the workplace and how we can appeal to the needs of coffee shops with our services.

Barista Wrist is Real

Latte art doesn’t come naturally! Baristas face many obstacles in their everyday lives, but nothing is more serious than Barista Wrist. This affliction is caused by poor ergonomics from serving people like you your daily coffee. Specifically, Barista Wrist stems from tamping, a tool that often twists the barista’s wrist in an uncomfortable position. Doing that over a hundred times a day takes its toll, making it no surprise that wrist-related injuries in coffee shops need an average of 366 days to recover.

What can be done to help? Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics! While we can suggest best practices, you can give them one extra step by suggesting alternative tools. Instead of the traditional tools that cause strain on wrists, more ergonomic-friendly devices like push tampers allow for easier pouring. Educating and suggesting alternative practices help both the coffee shops and your relationship with them.

That Burns!

Sure, you can have the occasional iced coffee order, but a lot of the beverages served in cafes and coffee shops are piping hot! Often, these drinks are served between 160 and 185 degrees F. A single accident at this temperature could lead to serious burns. Your servers need to feel and be protected, and this also goes for your customers as well. If an accident happens, you could lose both an employee and a customer. Remember the infamous 1992 hot coffee incident at McDonald’s that rewarded a customer nearly $3 million from the burns she suffered?

Heat is necessary for coffee, but educating employees on the best protective practices, like ensuring lids are securely in place, is a must. Our loss control services provide suggestions to minimize burns, and so much more! Also, with a proactive workers’ compensation carrier, the injured workers will get the quickest help they need while the coffee shop doesn’t hurt from the loss.

Other injuries are possible in the workplace, such as slips and back pain from standing all day, but we’re continuously coming back to ergonomics and quality products. We can help cafes and coffee shops by educating their employees AND reforming their environment with safer tools and materials.

The next time you get your daily latte, be nice to your barista! They have a lot of obstacles in their way. As a workers’ comp insurance company, we pride ourselves on a fast turnaround for our workers' comp claims while giving the personal touch clients deserve. If you are interested in our services or writing with us, please check out our website for more details: www.normandyins.com

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